Improved whip-rack



UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE;

EDWD. RIOHWOJND, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN F.

A OROUTT, OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

IMPROVED WHIP-RACK.

Spccication forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,480, dated October 2, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD RIoHMoND, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have inventeda certain new and Improved Rack for Whips and other articles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a top view of my improved whip-rack; Fig. 2, a section on the line x Fig. l; and Fig. 3, a section onV the line y y, Fig. 1. i

Great difficulty has heretofore been experienced for retaining, for any length of time, a straight top on a whip, on account of the limber character of the whip'and the consequent 'inability of the top to sustain its weight. It

has been customary to meet this difculty by suspending the whip, when not actually in use, by its tip or upper end, so thatwhen thus suspendedits own weight will tend to keep the whip straight. In order to do this, however, it has been usual to knot the lash or to tack it up, or to form a slip-knot or sling in it, in order to attach it securely to the nail or other support from which it hangs. This proceeding is not only inconvenient, but injurious to the whip, as thelash thereby-becomes worn or damaged and misshapen, so as to require t'requent renewal.

The object ot' my'invention is to construct a rack from which a whip may be easily suspended by its tip without injury. For this purpose I take'two platesof wood or metal, with an interposed sheet of vulcanized rubber, and in the edge of such plates and ,rubber sheet, I cut or otherwise form notches or openin gs, as hereinafter described, under such an arrangement that the notch in the wooden plates shall be somewhat larger than the con responding slot or opening in the rubber, so that the tip or lash of the whip, when placed in such opening and pushed back in it may be held andretained by the rubber.

I am aware that racks, formed of wooden plates, with an interposed sheet of rubber, provided with circular holes or perforations, have been heretofore used 5 but the object of such racks is to suspend orholdathe whip by the butt or at some point near the butt, difteringentirely from the object I have in view, which is to suspend a whip by its extreme tip or lash, so that the whole weight ofthe whip may be sustained by the lash, which is thereby kept in a stra-ight and upright form, and is prevented from bccoming bent or misshapen, as above described. The notch'or slot in`the rack invented by me differs, also, materially in i'orm and construc-` tion from that of the ordinary rack, above referred to, for, being open at its outer end, it admits ot' the lash being' pla-ced and pushed back therein with thegr'ealest facility. l

To enable othersto full y understand my invention and the manner in which the saineis, or may be, carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe it by reference to the accompanying d rawings, which represent a rack constructed in accordance with my invention, having formed in it, also, the ordinary holes for holding the whip by its butt, as above described, which form no part ot' my invention. The whip rack or frame there shown consists of two plates of wood or metal, A A', with an interposed sheet ot' vulcanized rubber, rubber cloth, or other elastic substance, B. In the two plates circular holes or perforations a a" are formed at suitable distances from each other, and of any desired size to suit the sizeof the holes inthe rubber cloth or other el astic substance, as hereinafter explained. These perfbrations in the plates A A are so m ade that when the two plates are placed together, the holes a c shall correspond, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In 'the edges of the plate also are cut or otherwise formed 4slots or openings c c', arranged alternately or `in quincunxorder with respect to the holes a a. Between these two plates is interposed a sheet of vulcanized rubber, rubber cloth, or other elastic substance, B, which is held tightly by means ofthe screws m or other suitable devices for binding together the upper and under plates c c. In order to e'ect a saving ot rubber, instead of a continuous sheet, as described, rubber disks or plates, whose circumference-is larger than the openings c and c, to which these are applied, maybe employed, the disks being cemented or otherwise secured at their outer edges to one or both the plates A A.

By this arrangement, it will be seen that where the holes c c c c are formed, the rubber B is not covered by the plates. At each point where the sheet is thus left uucoyered by the circular opening a a, a hole or opening,`b, of suitable size, is made concentric with the openings a a', and in like manner slots 1)/ are `formed at the edge of the sheet where it is exposed by the openings c c of the plates A A. The slots b are so formed as to have a' V shape, tapering from their front toward their rear endsL In these openings b and b the whips or other articles to be suspended are inserted, the former being lused if the lwhips. are to be suspended from their buttsthe latter'if they are to hang by their tops.

In order to enable the elastic substance to conform more readily to the size and shape of the Whip, one or more slits, d ande, are made in the edge of the elastic substance which surrounds the openings. These slits d, at the openings b, may be of any suitable length, and they may vary in number, being either more or less numerous than is represented in the drawings, though I have found the number there shown sufficient for all practical purposes.

When it is desired to suspend the whip C from its butt, the topor lash is inserted from above through the opening b, and then the whip is drawn through the opening until it has reached the position desired; or the butt of the whip may be pushed up through the opening b.

The rubber B, by reason, both of its inherent elasticity and of the slits d, conforms readily to the shape of the whip, yielding to the whip as it is drawn through the holes b, yet at the saine time embracing it tightly, so as to hold it in place, whether the whip beinserted as far as the handle or butt, as shown in Fig. 2, or whether it be only inserted half as far.

If the whip is to be hung by its tip or lash, theV-shaped slots b are employed. The tip or small end of the whip is placed or inserted in one of these slots and is then forced back in it or drawn through it until the whip is held tightly and firmly, as shown in Fig. 3. The slot e in this case has the same functions as the slits d around the openin b. It causes the rubber to yield with more facility to the whip, Without impairing in the least the ability of the rubber to hold the whip in place.

The size of the holes and slots a a c c should bear such relation to the size of the openings b b that, While sufficient to admit the whip-handle and to afford a sucient clegree of elasticity to the rubber, it shall not be so great as to give too much freedom to the rubber or to prevent it from holding the whiphandle tightly.

Itis apparent that the whips C can be removed from the rack or frame with as much facility as theyT are inserted therein.

To one of the edges of the frame or rack is secured an upright plate, I), by screws m or otherwise, and by means of this plate the rack is attached to the wall or other place where it is required to be used, as represented in Fig. 2, the screws p holding the entire frame firmly to the wall E. lBrackets or any other suitable device,however, may be used to fasten the rack to the wall.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows: n

l. In a rack or frame for holdin g whi ps, coinposed of plates of wood or other suitable material, with an interposed sheet of rubber or other elastic substance, as specified, the V- shaped openings or slots formed in the edge of said rack for holding the whip by its tip, the same being constructed and arranged substantially as herein described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a rack or frame composed of the materials herein described, in which the circular holes a and c are combined with the V -shaped openings formed in the edge of said rack, the whole being constructed and arranged for operation, substantially as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses. f

E. RICHMOND.

Vitnesses:

WM. J. RUSSELL, vA. R. BERRY. 

